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Being a patrol officer is one of the most dangerous jobs in the United States, with a fatality/injury rate of 14.9 deaths per 100,000 hours worked. Firefighting is a less dangerous career, with 2.5 fatal injuries* per 100,000 hours worked in 2011, the last year for which the fatality rate is available. Fatal injuries to paid firefighters have declined over the past five years, dropping from 50 fatalities in 2007 to 17 deaths in 2012. The fatal work injury rate for all U.S. workers was 3.2 per 100,000 hours worked. (*The figure does not include supervisors or volunteer firefighters.)

The ranking is ordered from fewest to most number of deaths in the included categories.